Kenyan Teen Sensation Phanuel Koech Stuns Homeboy Josh Kerr to Complete London Diamond League in Style

Kenyan’s Phanuel Koech executed a great strategy to floor one of the biggest names in 1,500m to win the race at the London Diamond League on Saturday.

In one of the fastest fields assembled this season and with the supporters cheering for Olympics silver medalist Josh Kerr, it seemed like the partisan crowd would be celebrating a home win until Koech happened.

Kerr took the lead after the bell and seemed in command of the race as they approached the final bend but Koech, who was trailing him, had an ace up his sleeve.

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The 18-year-old Kenyan summoned a great finishing kick and overtook a stunned Kerr to win the race in a new meeting record of 3:28.82 as the British runner settled for second in a season’s best 3:29.37 while Portuguese Isaac Nader completed the podium in 3:31.55.

It is turning into a great season for Koech, who also claimed victory at the Ostrava Golden Spike on June 24 when he clocked 3:29.05 over the distance, coming four days after a second place at the Paris Diamond League.

The 1,500m world title has been eluding Kenya since 2019 World Champions in Doha, when Elijah Mangoi won it, but the form of Koech is showing that there is great potential among a host of youngsters heading into this year’s edition in Tokyo.